The Races of Taladoun
Taladoun is home to hundreds of races, some capable of great constructs, some capable of great magics and some capable of great evil. Each of the races has melded and mixed with one another over the centuries, creating unique and different cultures, but there are still some defining traits that each race displays. The Great Races of Taladoun While Taladoun is indeed home to many races, there are a few "great" races, named such because they are the dominant forces in Taladoun. The Great Races consist of the Elves, Dwarves, Orcs and the Dragonborn. The Elf race is strongly tapped into the magic of the world, their creator Lacenne having taught them the intricacies of the craft since the beginning of their breed. At first, Elves used their magical abilities to alter the natural world around them, becoming some of the most powerful druids the world would ever see. Over time, however, Elves saw the great structures of the Dwarves on mountain tops and moved from the forests out to the plains and grasslands, utilizing their magical abilities to construct great cities. Now, the world is littered with huge cities and small settlements that the Elves have created, though they open their doors to the other races. A rare few tribes of Elves have migrated south and into the Sumara Desert as well, though seeing an Elf in the hotter lands is a rare treat. Those Elves that migrated south and did not return north or stay in the desert found a treacherous home in the wetlands of the swamps and find themselves in constant conflict with the more devious Orc clans, Goblin hordes and legions of Kobolds, among other threats. Lastly, Zericks has tainted some of the Elves over the centuries, creating the Dark Elf race that dwells underground in the Underdark. Led by the lesser god Lilth, the Dark Elves have become one of the most dangerous forces in Taladoun, contained only by their hatred of the sunlight that regulates them to raiding the surface world instead of waging war against it. The Dwarf race finds shelter and riches in the earth of Taladoun. They are expert miners and smiths, but they also desire open spaces and the cool breeze found on the highest of mountain peaks. The great citadels and fortresses of the Dwarf race sit atop these mountains with levels upon levels delving deep into the mountains in search of gems and precious metals. The Dwarves also contain a special bond with the materials they dig up, culminating in a ritual that each Dwarf smith goes through once in their life. They begin to have visions of their greatest craft and must undergo a ceremony that takes about a fortnight where they are locked in their blacksmith, putting their heart and soul into their work and coming away with weapons or tools of nearly artifact-level power. Rocks and gems aside, the Dwarves still crave the open skies and it is tradition for Dwarf Clans to find flying companions to befriend and tame. This has led to the Dwarves become masters of both the underground and the skies. The Orc race dominates the fiery sands of the Sumara Desert. The Lesser God Baur created the Orcs in his image and taught them honor and strength, creating a race of warrior tribes and clans that move through the sands, making a life from some of the harshest of environments. Most of the Orc tribes work as a culture of strength creates leaders and it is not uncommon to see the clan's youth dressed and armed as warriors. For the most part, the clans and tribes find a way to have a lasting peace between them, but territorial fueds do occur. The honor code of the Orcs even dictates how the battles are done, with armies forming up and launching attacks in waves until one side is either wiped out or surrenders. Furthermore, honor dictates that survivors of the losing clan are to be taken in by the victor clan and become members of the new clan. Unfortunately, the Orcs went through a migration period at some point in history and many of the tribes moved both north and south of the Desert. Those that moved south became treacherous, devious creatures and mingled with the likes of Goblins and other unsavory types of creatures, their influence turning them into more savage beasts then honorable warriors. Those that moved north formed the clans that inhabit the Fields of Glory and the clans swelled until the space became too crowded. Since then, a tense conflict has dominated the Fields of Glory region, the clans constantly striking out and raiding one another in hopes of gaining more of the land and ruling over it all. The Dragonborn race was created by the Lesser God Arcus would draw power from the Dragon race, creating humanoid versions of them. The Dragonborn are as different as the Dragons themselves, different colored Dragonborn having similar traits and personalities to that of their ancestors. The Dragonborn are a powerfully magical race, some of the world's greatest sorcerers being scaled. They created a lasting friendship with the Elf race, while they are somewhat mistrusting of the Dwarf race. The Dragonborn see the Dwarf's tradition to tame and befriend flying mounts as suspicious, their own ancestors being the greatest flying creatures in the world. Dragonborn and Orcs are generally distrusting of one another, though share a sense of understanding and respect for one another's fierce loyalty and powerful abilities (albeit one being magical based and the other being physical based). For the most part, the Dragonborn have settled along the shores of Taladoun, running a majority of the world's ports and docks. With this being said, the Dragonborn often have conflicts with the Merfolk of Taladoun who have a great love for sinking ships or harassing shore lines.